Superannuation surtax

Press, 23 March 1985, Page 20

Superannuation surtax

Sir,—Once public attention has begun to wane upon current diversions such as alleged leakage of the dollar “float,” goods service tax, A.N.Z.U.S., etc., I trust a concerted and sustained attack will be launched against the Government’s iniquitous surtax imposed upon superannuitants. The more one studies the implications of this surtax the more one realises the enormity of the deception contrived by the Labour Party during their pre-election campaign, in order to obtain votes from a generation who had, throughout their life-time, expected honesty and integrity from senior party leaders. Although the surtax penalises everybody over 60, perhaps the worst injustice of all falls on those citizens over 65, who, even before Sir Robert Muldoon’s scheme came into effect, received universal superannuation, whereas under the current Labour scheme these unfortunates, during the latter years of their lives, obtain absolutely nothing. To penalise elderly citizens in this way is a complete disgrace and should be remedied forthwith.—Yours, etc., D. L. AMBLER. March 22, 1985.